Post by Commissioner Erick on Jan 9, 2021 19:51:15 GMT -5
A cutthroat division, San Francisco and Los Angeles are both elite teams, while Colorado has high-level talent, and only a late collapse kept the Padres under .500. Even though Arizona is rebuilding, they have the best young player in the National League. The AL Central is terrific, but the NL West may win the argument as the best division in baseball.
1) Los Angeles Dodgers
2024: 114-48, NL West Champions. Defeated San Francisco 4-3 in NLDS. Defeated Chicago Cubs 4-0 in NLCS. Lost to Toronto 4-1 in World Series
Who They Were: After a pair of 80-something win seasons, and despite a number of injuries to their staff, the Dodgers had their best regular season in history with 114 wins. A pair of right-handed hitters made the difference as a healthy Alex Bregman and a talented Seiya Suzuki provided right-handed offense to balance the lineup. The Dodgers once again had a lethal bullpen, but several unheralded starting pitchers had nice years to stabilize things despite a number of injuries. J.B. Bukauskas had a 3.40 ERA, Logan Allen had a 4.13 ERA, and Matt Trask won 14 games.
Offseason Review: The Dodgers needed an arm with Julio Urias’ torn labrum ending his career, and they went out and grabbed Steven Matz. With their young depth, the Dodgers should once again have a fantastic staff. Their only successful player who they lost from last year was 40-year-old relief arm Will Harris. The Dodgers made up for the loss with the acquisition of Eric Groves. The rest of the main pieces from last year’s 114-win juggernaut all return.
On the Farm: There are some good young pitchers in the mid-minors that should give the team a shot in the arm next season or 2027, namely Rebel Ceja and Arthur Price. Travis Tyre, Arturo Pedroza, and Kevin Ryan look like relief aces in their own right and should arrive on the same timeline. The position player isn’t quite as strong, but Jorge Ramos should be up next year as an ace Center Field defender who might hit enough to land a starting role. Unlike a lot of systems that aren’t exceptionally deep, Los Angels has most of its best players above the low minors, meaning they can provide reinforcements pretty quickly.
Best Case Scenario: The rotation stays healthy and the Dodgers don’t have to throw Logan Allen and Matt Trask in the World Series.
Worst Case Scenario: There are four key pitchers on the team that will be 37 once the season begins. Father time can clutch the Dodgers and bring them back to the NL pack.
Key Questions: With Kenley Jansen aging, you tried to trade him in the offseason before he voided the trade with his veto rights. What role will he have on your club?
Wil Simon Muzziotti be your Center Field starter against left-handers again this year?
2) San Francisco Giants
2024: 105-57, 2nd Place NL West. Defeated Washington in NL Wild Card Game. Lost to Los Angeles Dodgers in NLDS
Who They Were: The Giants had the best starting pitcher ERA in the league behind Cy Young candidate Shane Baz and a cast of talented hurlers. Five of the club’s six pitchers who started double-digit games produced at least 3.3 WAR. Offensively, while the club didn’t hit for a ton of power, they were second in batting average. Orlando Arcia and Nick Gordon slashed away at the top of the order and Calvin Mitchell and Blake Rutherford combined for 228 RBIs driving them in.
Offseason Review: The Giants lost Nick Gordon, which really hurts their ability to get on base. Jonathan Arauz could be a good replacement, but Gordon hit at least .320 in two of the past three seasons. Jeurys Familiar should provide an anchor in the bullpen that San Francisco missed last year, and the club is hoping Chris Seise can pick up for Shane Benes. Top prospect Kelyn Klattenburger is ready to step in to a starting spot this year.
On the Farm: Klattenburger is the headliner, as the PBAs 12th best prospect, but the system is oozing with talent in the low minors. Those prospects could be used to add to the big club, or form a wave of talent in a few years. On the pitching front, San Francisco has a number of big relief arms in the upper minors that can make an impact this year.
Best Case Scenario: Arauz hits .300, Klattenburger is an above-average starter, and the Giants win 110 games behind an untouchable staff.
Worst Case Scenario: Klattenburger still needs time, the offense underperforms, and deep upper class of the NL leaves the Giants outside the postseason.
Key Questions: Why did you let Shane Benes walk after some really good years for you?
Will Justin Dunn be a starter or a reliever for you this season?
3) Colorado Rockies
2024: 78-84, 3rd Place NL West
Who They Were: Finishing third in the punishing NL West was no mean feat for Colorado last season. They added 10 wins over their 2023 campaign and finished atop or near the NL lead in home runs, runs scored, hits, wRC, wOBA, isolated power, WPA, OPS, slugging %, and batting average. While you expect monster hitting numbers from the Rockies, they improved in nearly every category over ’23. And while their arms understandably lagged their bats, the team’s staff posted a respectable 4.68 FIP last year and actually gave up fewer homers than division rivals Arizona and San Diego.
But on a less-upbeat note, this was the second season in a row the Rockies significantly underperformed their expected win totals. In 2023 they fell 7 wins shy of expectations, and last season they were 5 wins short. Those may be anomalies given the Rockies had outperformed expectations for 6 straight seasons heading into ’23. If so, Colorado could easily top .500 this year even without factoring in their offseason additions.
Offseason Review: The Rockies had a busy offseason, highlighted by locking up perennial All-Star and Platinum Stick winner 3B Nolan Arenado to a five-year, $163M extension which should keep him in Denver through 2029. After putting up 7.4 WAR last year, losing Arenado to free agency would have been a crushing blow to the team’s 2025 playoff hopes. Kudos to GM Erick Blasco for convincing frugal Rockies’ owner Charlie Monfort to open his wallet and keep Arenado mashing in Coors Field for the remainder of his career. While Arenado was the biggest offseason splash for Colorado, they also added several pitchers including former Dodger Enny Romero, a flyball reliever with a 39% ground out rate last year who may cause Blasco and the Rockies’ front office some sleepless nights, Dan Jennings, a groundball specialist who put up a solid 2.34 ERA, 188 ERA+ season for the Phillies last year, and 33-yr old Jon Gray who re-signed with the Rockies on a team-friendly 2-year, $2.8M extension. And last but not least, Colorado convinced veteran outfielder and AARP member Yoenis Cespedes to spend the twilight of his long career in Colorado smashing balls over the fence, something the 39-year old Cespedes can still do with the best of them. He'll replace fellow AARP member Charlie Blackmon, who was injured and not retained, signing instead with Seattle.
On the Farm: The Rockies farm system heads into the 2025 season ranked #12 in the Pinnacle Baseball Association. It’s a balanced crew, with solid hitting and pitching prospects throughout the organization. Starter Jorge Tovar, the league’s No. 34 prospect, looks like a future ace with a fantastic curveball and knuckle curve combo, while 25-year old Roland Lemon, the league’s No. 55 prospect, looks nearly ready for the show with a 100-mph fastball and filthy slider. There’s no lack of top-flight hitting prospects either. Last year’s first-round pick 3B Tom Gunning looks spectacular, as does 1B Juan Marrufo who was a steal at the #23 overall pick in 2021. He’s a five-star prospect with no apparent weaknesses and a flyball swing that seems tailor-made for Coors Field.
Like most systems, the talent level drops off after the premier names, but Colorado has some interesting guys up and down their top-30 list. Rule 5 pick T.J. Lunsford (#15), P Andy Palmer (#21), C Roberto Gomez (#27), and P Sergio Castro (#30) are just a few of the less-heralded prospects who could find their way onto the Rockies’ major-league roster over the coming years.
Best Case Scenario: A lot of things would have to go right for the Rockies to make the playoffs this year, but it’s not out of the question. Their hitting will be outstanding both at, and away from, Coors Field, but they’ll have to find some magic outside their top-2 starters. If they stay healthy, play up to expectations, and get some unexpectedly solid performances from the back-half of their rotation it’s possible the Rockies could sneak into the playoffs this year.
Worst Case Scenario: It’s hard to see the Rockies underperforming last year’s record unless they run into a slew of major injuries. But the NL West is a meat grinder and Colorado’s rotation isn’t overly impressive outside Michael Fulmer and Riley Pint, both of whom are injury risks. If either goes down for a portion of the year, Colorado could find itself in a tough spot and finish below .500 for the third consecutive season.
Key Questions: You have a lot of money tied up in Arenado who has already started to see some erosion in his ratings. Do you think he’ll remain productive through 2029?
Riley Pint has an extensive injury history for a guy who’s only 27, do you plan to take any special precautions this season to keep him on the field? Is it possible you’d move him to the bullpen to decrease the stress on his shoulder, and back, and foot, and elbow, and hand . . . .?
Trevor Story’s in the final year of his contract, have you discussed an extension with him and would you like to have him back in a Rockies’ uniform next season?
4) San Diego Padres
2024: 60-93, 4th place NL West
Who They Were: Despite a strong start San Diego suffered yet another losing season. They have yet to have a winning record in the PBA. Absentee GM work led to an extremely exhausted pitching staff and several position players getting way too many innings on the mound. 5 position players had at least an inning pitched for San Diego, mostly coming in September. It was no surprise that the team finished with an ERA of 5.53. Despite the losing season there were several bright spots on the team. 1B Alejandro Toral finally put it all together and slashed 309/403/512 in a breakout campaign. Three young starters put up at least 2 WAR for San Diego, Adrian Morejon, Anderson Espinoza and Jeff Henry. The team should probably have finished with a better record than they did. With a new regime in charge and some promising young pieces, the Padres can be hopeful for the future.
Offseason Review: San Diego initially hired a new British GM named "Stewart,", however careful review by the league office uncovered an imposter. "Stewart" turned out to be a disgraced former Marlins GM and he was swiftly fired by the organization. Team owner Evan Fowler apologized profusely to San Diegan's, expressing regret that "Stewart" had gotten past their background checks. "His fake mustache and his glasses were just so convincing, and we all just swooned over that British accent. But I promise the fans that we will not let a mistake like that happen again. There will be no more Bobby Valentine moments in our organization." The team then turned to and hired former A's and Red's GM Creig McBride. Despite the tumult at the top, the team has been able to make improvements from last year. Catcher Yasmani Grandal was a major Free Agent loss but the team has brought in more than they have lost. Relievers Alex Colome and Jake Reed are aboard to try and fix a Padres Pen that has dragged the team down in the past. Outfielder Clint Frazier was added to give the team another bat. A major coup was pulled off by the organization during the Rule V draft. The Padres managed to snag Left Fielder Mike Fitzgerald from the Boston Red Sox. Fitzgerald isn't a great fielder and may struggle against lefties, but he has the potential to absolutely crush righties and is ranked as the #59 overall prospect in the league. Boston's loss is San Diego's gain. Fitzgerald and Toral give the Padres a potent core to build a lineup around.
On the Farm: San Diego has a solid farm, currently ranked #10 overall by OSA. Besides the aforementioned Fitzgerald, the Padres have two other great outfield prospects in Center Fielders John Yancey Greg Kelly. However, unlike Fitzgerald, Yancey and Kelly look to be at least a season from contributing at the ML level. If it all comes together though, then San Diego could have a dynamic young outfield. On the pitching side, Roger Ash and John Thacker are the Padres best starting pitcher prospects. Thacker came over when San Diego traded away their franchise player Luis Urias. He had a strong showing in AA San Antonio last season and might find himself on the big league club next season if he can repeat his performance at the AAA level. Roger Ash is a little farther away than Thacker and will need his curveball development to pan out in order to become a quality big league starter.
Best Case Scenario: San Diego's young players continue to improve and the bullpen additions help to stabilize the pitching staff. If this happens then the team could break 80 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: The unfortunate reality for San Diego is that they play in a division with two juggernauts in the form of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. Playing 38 games against these two teams severely limits their win potential at the moment. The team's lack of infield talent also limits their upside, especially if Shortstop Royce Lewis still struggles to prove he belongs in the PBA. Still, it's hard to see this team being worse than last year as their historic pitching melt down would be tough to repeat. San Diego should still improve, but the limit may be into a 70-something win team.
Key Questions: How do you feel about the timing of Tyler O’Neill’s experimental eye surgery?
Fernando Tatis Jr. is a terrific defender, but he hasn’t hit in the majors. Will he be your starting Third Baseman this season?
5) Arizona Diamondbacks
2024: 66-96, Last Place NL West
Who They Were: After three straight playoff berths, two straight NL West titles, and a World Championship, the wheels fell off in Arizona. Diamondback opponents continued to hate how Juan Gestoso would ring their doorbell, as he had another sensational year, leading the NL West in on-base percentage with a .409 mark, stealing a league-leading 59 bases, and clubbing 39 bases in a sensational year. However, the team got good production from Tae-Hoon Do and Matt Duffy in 2023, and that production fell apart in 2024. Cal Conley had a dreadful rookie year, and the offense was a little bit worse than their glory years. Meanwhile, without Marco Gonzales the pitching was a disaster. Anthony DeSclafani had an ERA nearly two full runs higher than his 2023 mark. Chris Archer and Josh Taylor had an ERA MORE than two-full runs higher than their 2023 numbers. Antonio Senzatela had a 5.80 ERA, and with so much terrible pitching, Arizona sank to the bottom of the division.
Offseason Review: The best Arizona hitters outside of Gestoso are no longer around as Yunior Severino, Isan Diaz, Bruce Maxwell, Matt Duffy and Ryan Johnson have been moved on from. The entire rotation has been redone as well. Ender Inciarte and Allen Cordoba are on to keep things respectable, but the rotation is filled with retreads, and the offense is loaded with stopgaps. There’s still some young talent that Arizona will hope to build as they work on constructing the next title team.
On the Farm: It’s not a great system for a rebuilding team, as there’s only one Top 50 prospect—Gary Ford at 44. Andres Torrero and Enrique Valdez provide great defense at Catcher and Middle Infield, respectively, and may be up this year. There’s veteran depth in the upper minors as well if youngsters don’t deliver. The system lacks a star though, and the best talent is in the deep minors.
Best Case Scenario: Quentin Holmes takes a step forward and he and Gestoso provide enough to lose fewer than 100 games.
Worst Case Scenario: Miami has a better defense—AND offense.
Key Questions: You took over Arizona in the middle of the offseason. What are you trying to accomplish with the team in the short term?
You signed journeyman Allen Cordoba in the offseason. What are you expecting from him this year?
1) Los Angeles Dodgers
2024: 114-48, NL West Champions. Defeated San Francisco 4-3 in NLDS. Defeated Chicago Cubs 4-0 in NLCS. Lost to Toronto 4-1 in World Series
Who They Were: After a pair of 80-something win seasons, and despite a number of injuries to their staff, the Dodgers had their best regular season in history with 114 wins. A pair of right-handed hitters made the difference as a healthy Alex Bregman and a talented Seiya Suzuki provided right-handed offense to balance the lineup. The Dodgers once again had a lethal bullpen, but several unheralded starting pitchers had nice years to stabilize things despite a number of injuries. J.B. Bukauskas had a 3.40 ERA, Logan Allen had a 4.13 ERA, and Matt Trask won 14 games.
Offseason Review: The Dodgers needed an arm with Julio Urias’ torn labrum ending his career, and they went out and grabbed Steven Matz. With their young depth, the Dodgers should once again have a fantastic staff. Their only successful player who they lost from last year was 40-year-old relief arm Will Harris. The Dodgers made up for the loss with the acquisition of Eric Groves. The rest of the main pieces from last year’s 114-win juggernaut all return.
On the Farm: There are some good young pitchers in the mid-minors that should give the team a shot in the arm next season or 2027, namely Rebel Ceja and Arthur Price. Travis Tyre, Arturo Pedroza, and Kevin Ryan look like relief aces in their own right and should arrive on the same timeline. The position player isn’t quite as strong, but Jorge Ramos should be up next year as an ace Center Field defender who might hit enough to land a starting role. Unlike a lot of systems that aren’t exceptionally deep, Los Angels has most of its best players above the low minors, meaning they can provide reinforcements pretty quickly.
Best Case Scenario: The rotation stays healthy and the Dodgers don’t have to throw Logan Allen and Matt Trask in the World Series.
Worst Case Scenario: There are four key pitchers on the team that will be 37 once the season begins. Father time can clutch the Dodgers and bring them back to the NL pack.
Key Questions: With Kenley Jansen aging, you tried to trade him in the offseason before he voided the trade with his veto rights. What role will he have on your club?
Wil Simon Muzziotti be your Center Field starter against left-handers again this year?
2) San Francisco Giants
2024: 105-57, 2nd Place NL West. Defeated Washington in NL Wild Card Game. Lost to Los Angeles Dodgers in NLDS
Who They Were: The Giants had the best starting pitcher ERA in the league behind Cy Young candidate Shane Baz and a cast of talented hurlers. Five of the club’s six pitchers who started double-digit games produced at least 3.3 WAR. Offensively, while the club didn’t hit for a ton of power, they were second in batting average. Orlando Arcia and Nick Gordon slashed away at the top of the order and Calvin Mitchell and Blake Rutherford combined for 228 RBIs driving them in.
Offseason Review: The Giants lost Nick Gordon, which really hurts their ability to get on base. Jonathan Arauz could be a good replacement, but Gordon hit at least .320 in two of the past three seasons. Jeurys Familiar should provide an anchor in the bullpen that San Francisco missed last year, and the club is hoping Chris Seise can pick up for Shane Benes. Top prospect Kelyn Klattenburger is ready to step in to a starting spot this year.
On the Farm: Klattenburger is the headliner, as the PBAs 12th best prospect, but the system is oozing with talent in the low minors. Those prospects could be used to add to the big club, or form a wave of talent in a few years. On the pitching front, San Francisco has a number of big relief arms in the upper minors that can make an impact this year.
Best Case Scenario: Arauz hits .300, Klattenburger is an above-average starter, and the Giants win 110 games behind an untouchable staff.
Worst Case Scenario: Klattenburger still needs time, the offense underperforms, and deep upper class of the NL leaves the Giants outside the postseason.
Key Questions: Why did you let Shane Benes walk after some really good years for you?
Will Justin Dunn be a starter or a reliever for you this season?
3) Colorado Rockies
2024: 78-84, 3rd Place NL West
Who They Were: Finishing third in the punishing NL West was no mean feat for Colorado last season. They added 10 wins over their 2023 campaign and finished atop or near the NL lead in home runs, runs scored, hits, wRC, wOBA, isolated power, WPA, OPS, slugging %, and batting average. While you expect monster hitting numbers from the Rockies, they improved in nearly every category over ’23. And while their arms understandably lagged their bats, the team’s staff posted a respectable 4.68 FIP last year and actually gave up fewer homers than division rivals Arizona and San Diego.
But on a less-upbeat note, this was the second season in a row the Rockies significantly underperformed their expected win totals. In 2023 they fell 7 wins shy of expectations, and last season they were 5 wins short. Those may be anomalies given the Rockies had outperformed expectations for 6 straight seasons heading into ’23. If so, Colorado could easily top .500 this year even without factoring in their offseason additions.
Offseason Review: The Rockies had a busy offseason, highlighted by locking up perennial All-Star and Platinum Stick winner 3B Nolan Arenado to a five-year, $163M extension which should keep him in Denver through 2029. After putting up 7.4 WAR last year, losing Arenado to free agency would have been a crushing blow to the team’s 2025 playoff hopes. Kudos to GM Erick Blasco for convincing frugal Rockies’ owner Charlie Monfort to open his wallet and keep Arenado mashing in Coors Field for the remainder of his career. While Arenado was the biggest offseason splash for Colorado, they also added several pitchers including former Dodger Enny Romero, a flyball reliever with a 39% ground out rate last year who may cause Blasco and the Rockies’ front office some sleepless nights, Dan Jennings, a groundball specialist who put up a solid 2.34 ERA, 188 ERA+ season for the Phillies last year, and 33-yr old Jon Gray who re-signed with the Rockies on a team-friendly 2-year, $2.8M extension. And last but not least, Colorado convinced veteran outfielder and AARP member Yoenis Cespedes to spend the twilight of his long career in Colorado smashing balls over the fence, something the 39-year old Cespedes can still do with the best of them. He'll replace fellow AARP member Charlie Blackmon, who was injured and not retained, signing instead with Seattle.
On the Farm: The Rockies farm system heads into the 2025 season ranked #12 in the Pinnacle Baseball Association. It’s a balanced crew, with solid hitting and pitching prospects throughout the organization. Starter Jorge Tovar, the league’s No. 34 prospect, looks like a future ace with a fantastic curveball and knuckle curve combo, while 25-year old Roland Lemon, the league’s No. 55 prospect, looks nearly ready for the show with a 100-mph fastball and filthy slider. There’s no lack of top-flight hitting prospects either. Last year’s first-round pick 3B Tom Gunning looks spectacular, as does 1B Juan Marrufo who was a steal at the #23 overall pick in 2021. He’s a five-star prospect with no apparent weaknesses and a flyball swing that seems tailor-made for Coors Field.
Like most systems, the talent level drops off after the premier names, but Colorado has some interesting guys up and down their top-30 list. Rule 5 pick T.J. Lunsford (#15), P Andy Palmer (#21), C Roberto Gomez (#27), and P Sergio Castro (#30) are just a few of the less-heralded prospects who could find their way onto the Rockies’ major-league roster over the coming years.
Best Case Scenario: A lot of things would have to go right for the Rockies to make the playoffs this year, but it’s not out of the question. Their hitting will be outstanding both at, and away from, Coors Field, but they’ll have to find some magic outside their top-2 starters. If they stay healthy, play up to expectations, and get some unexpectedly solid performances from the back-half of their rotation it’s possible the Rockies could sneak into the playoffs this year.
Worst Case Scenario: It’s hard to see the Rockies underperforming last year’s record unless they run into a slew of major injuries. But the NL West is a meat grinder and Colorado’s rotation isn’t overly impressive outside Michael Fulmer and Riley Pint, both of whom are injury risks. If either goes down for a portion of the year, Colorado could find itself in a tough spot and finish below .500 for the third consecutive season.
Key Questions: You have a lot of money tied up in Arenado who has already started to see some erosion in his ratings. Do you think he’ll remain productive through 2029?
Riley Pint has an extensive injury history for a guy who’s only 27, do you plan to take any special precautions this season to keep him on the field? Is it possible you’d move him to the bullpen to decrease the stress on his shoulder, and back, and foot, and elbow, and hand . . . .?
Trevor Story’s in the final year of his contract, have you discussed an extension with him and would you like to have him back in a Rockies’ uniform next season?
4) San Diego Padres
2024: 60-93, 4th place NL West
Who They Were: Despite a strong start San Diego suffered yet another losing season. They have yet to have a winning record in the PBA. Absentee GM work led to an extremely exhausted pitching staff and several position players getting way too many innings on the mound. 5 position players had at least an inning pitched for San Diego, mostly coming in September. It was no surprise that the team finished with an ERA of 5.53. Despite the losing season there were several bright spots on the team. 1B Alejandro Toral finally put it all together and slashed 309/403/512 in a breakout campaign. Three young starters put up at least 2 WAR for San Diego, Adrian Morejon, Anderson Espinoza and Jeff Henry. The team should probably have finished with a better record than they did. With a new regime in charge and some promising young pieces, the Padres can be hopeful for the future.
Offseason Review: San Diego initially hired a new British GM named "Stewart,", however careful review by the league office uncovered an imposter. "Stewart" turned out to be a disgraced former Marlins GM and he was swiftly fired by the organization. Team owner Evan Fowler apologized profusely to San Diegan's, expressing regret that "Stewart" had gotten past their background checks. "His fake mustache and his glasses were just so convincing, and we all just swooned over that British accent. But I promise the fans that we will not let a mistake like that happen again. There will be no more Bobby Valentine moments in our organization." The team then turned to and hired former A's and Red's GM Creig McBride. Despite the tumult at the top, the team has been able to make improvements from last year. Catcher Yasmani Grandal was a major Free Agent loss but the team has brought in more than they have lost. Relievers Alex Colome and Jake Reed are aboard to try and fix a Padres Pen that has dragged the team down in the past. Outfielder Clint Frazier was added to give the team another bat. A major coup was pulled off by the organization during the Rule V draft. The Padres managed to snag Left Fielder Mike Fitzgerald from the Boston Red Sox. Fitzgerald isn't a great fielder and may struggle against lefties, but he has the potential to absolutely crush righties and is ranked as the #59 overall prospect in the league. Boston's loss is San Diego's gain. Fitzgerald and Toral give the Padres a potent core to build a lineup around.
On the Farm: San Diego has a solid farm, currently ranked #10 overall by OSA. Besides the aforementioned Fitzgerald, the Padres have two other great outfield prospects in Center Fielders John Yancey Greg Kelly. However, unlike Fitzgerald, Yancey and Kelly look to be at least a season from contributing at the ML level. If it all comes together though, then San Diego could have a dynamic young outfield. On the pitching side, Roger Ash and John Thacker are the Padres best starting pitcher prospects. Thacker came over when San Diego traded away their franchise player Luis Urias. He had a strong showing in AA San Antonio last season and might find himself on the big league club next season if he can repeat his performance at the AAA level. Roger Ash is a little farther away than Thacker and will need his curveball development to pan out in order to become a quality big league starter.
Best Case Scenario: San Diego's young players continue to improve and the bullpen additions help to stabilize the pitching staff. If this happens then the team could break 80 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: The unfortunate reality for San Diego is that they play in a division with two juggernauts in the form of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. Playing 38 games against these two teams severely limits their win potential at the moment. The team's lack of infield talent also limits their upside, especially if Shortstop Royce Lewis still struggles to prove he belongs in the PBA. Still, it's hard to see this team being worse than last year as their historic pitching melt down would be tough to repeat. San Diego should still improve, but the limit may be into a 70-something win team.
Key Questions: How do you feel about the timing of Tyler O’Neill’s experimental eye surgery?
Fernando Tatis Jr. is a terrific defender, but he hasn’t hit in the majors. Will he be your starting Third Baseman this season?
5) Arizona Diamondbacks
2024: 66-96, Last Place NL West
Who They Were: After three straight playoff berths, two straight NL West titles, and a World Championship, the wheels fell off in Arizona. Diamondback opponents continued to hate how Juan Gestoso would ring their doorbell, as he had another sensational year, leading the NL West in on-base percentage with a .409 mark, stealing a league-leading 59 bases, and clubbing 39 bases in a sensational year. However, the team got good production from Tae-Hoon Do and Matt Duffy in 2023, and that production fell apart in 2024. Cal Conley had a dreadful rookie year, and the offense was a little bit worse than their glory years. Meanwhile, without Marco Gonzales the pitching was a disaster. Anthony DeSclafani had an ERA nearly two full runs higher than his 2023 mark. Chris Archer and Josh Taylor had an ERA MORE than two-full runs higher than their 2023 numbers. Antonio Senzatela had a 5.80 ERA, and with so much terrible pitching, Arizona sank to the bottom of the division.
Offseason Review: The best Arizona hitters outside of Gestoso are no longer around as Yunior Severino, Isan Diaz, Bruce Maxwell, Matt Duffy and Ryan Johnson have been moved on from. The entire rotation has been redone as well. Ender Inciarte and Allen Cordoba are on to keep things respectable, but the rotation is filled with retreads, and the offense is loaded with stopgaps. There’s still some young talent that Arizona will hope to build as they work on constructing the next title team.
On the Farm: It’s not a great system for a rebuilding team, as there’s only one Top 50 prospect—Gary Ford at 44. Andres Torrero and Enrique Valdez provide great defense at Catcher and Middle Infield, respectively, and may be up this year. There’s veteran depth in the upper minors as well if youngsters don’t deliver. The system lacks a star though, and the best talent is in the deep minors.
Best Case Scenario: Quentin Holmes takes a step forward and he and Gestoso provide enough to lose fewer than 100 games.
Worst Case Scenario: Miami has a better defense—AND offense.
Key Questions: You took over Arizona in the middle of the offseason. What are you trying to accomplish with the team in the short term?
You signed journeyman Allen Cordoba in the offseason. What are you expecting from him this year?
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